Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 71

desertgrandma · 11-11-2008, 10:16 PM

Thanks, Todd, it sounds good.

And to get real pleasure from any book, I think you really need to 'suspend disbelief' in many cases. True also for TV and movies.
I don't care if its 'correct' in its premise. Make me believe it!

JSWolf · 11-11-2008, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcv

I blew through a series of Star Trek books, thanks to JSWolf.

Death in Winter
Resistance
Q&A
Before Dishonor

All of these were Mobipocket formatted book.

Yesterday I read Commodork, a DRM-less PDF.

So, I'm between things now. I am probably going to pick up another ST book.

Don't forget the rest...
Greater Than the Sum · Christopher L. Bennett
Star Trek: Destiny: Gods of Night · David Mack
Star Trek: Destiny: Mere Mortals · David Mack
Star Trek: Destiny: Lost Souls · David Mack

They are quite good. I've not yet started he second in the Destiny Trilogy. But the first one was quite good. The third one is not yet out. That's for December sometime.

hrundi · 11-12-2008, 03:06 AM

Jon Blackwell - Notorious New Jersey
Seymour M. Hersh - The Dark Side of Camelot
Ron Suskind - The One Percent Doctrine

pm me if you're interested

carrie · 11-12-2008, 10:58 AM

Just finished JL Langley's - The Englor Affair.

It was released yesterday and I finished it in 6 hrs.

pilotbob · 11-12-2008, 11:01 AM

I'm back to reading Passage to India... and who knew... something actually happened. I guess taking a break for a few Trek SCE books really helped.

BOb

DixieGal · 11-12-2008, 11:16 AM

Still working on the Starfish series. Books 1 & 2 were terrific, didn't want to put them down. Book 3 is different. I'm halfway through it and so far, nothing has really happened.

Spoiler:

I'm going to finish it because in scanning ahead, Blind Sight, the conclusion Book 4, seems to be good. More later!

PS - I still highly recommend this series. There's always a stinker in a series. Think LOTR Book 2. It's worth reading just to get to Book 3.

Xenophon · 11-12-2008, 12:26 PM

After too many eBooks to list, I've just started reading a truly fascinating book in dead-tree format. It's a biography of Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a scientist, spy, inventor, politician, soldier-of-fortune, patriot, traitor, genius. On a personal level, he seems to have been so crooked he makes a pretzel seem straight. At the same time, he was a major benefactor of the poor. Overall a bundle of contradictions.

As a scientist, he: disproved the caloric theory of heat, did groundbreaking work in ballistics, designed more efficient fireplaces and improved stoves (and much much more). As a politician and do-gooder he fed and housed the (many many) poor of Bavaria, reformed the Bavarian army, and a whole lot more. Meanwhile, he made and lost at least five fortunes, spied on all and sundry, was a Tory patriot during the American revolution, attempted to sell the British Channel Fleet to the French, abandoned his wife and daughter, fathered at least two illegitimate children... The guy was so busy doing so many different things that it's amazing he ever had time to get any science done!

The particular book I'm reading is this one: Brown, S.C. (1981). Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. Cambridge USA: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-02138-2. You can read about the scientific part of Thompson's life at Wikipedia, but they omit all the juicy stuff. Beware of biographies much older than the one I reference above -- most of the dirt on Thompson was thought to be "scurrilous rumor" up 'till WWII, when a War Office employee found the documents on Thompson that included his spy reports from the American Revolution and much much more. Sanford Brown (a MIT Physicist) spent 40+ years gathering up all the information he could find on Thompson, with a heavy emphasis on original sources. His book is of particular interest because it shows the importance of his work alongside the unsavory aspects of his character.

Absolutely fascinating, and very highly recommended! Thompson could have a mini-series made about his life -- there's enough dirt to keep Hollywood happy and enough educational meat to make PBS's day!

Xenophon

mtravellerh · 11-12-2008, 12:40 PM

I am reading a book I actually posted myself. But it's in german so it may not be considered as shameless self promotion. It's written by Waldemar Bonsels, a well known german children's book who was sent in his youth as a missionary to India after failing his school. It's really fascinating how he realizes in the course of his stay there in India how futile his missionary efforts really are. The Indians are described as simple, open folk that, in the end, are a lot wiser than the Europeans. So if someone reads german, the book is called Indienfahrt by Waldemar Bonsels. I love it. Not found any English translation, though. Shame!

nekokami · 11-12-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

I'm going to finish it because in scanning ahead, Blind Sight, the conclusion Book 4, seems to be good. More later!

Wait, Blindsight was a sequel? Maybe that's why it didn't make much sense to me....

Peadar Ó Guilín · 11-13-2008, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

Wait, Blindsight was a sequel? Maybe that's why it didn't make much sense to me....

I didn't know that either, although I really enjoyed the sciencey stuff in Blindsight.

Currently at the opposite end of the spectrum (science-wise) and enjoying Charlie Huston's Every Last Drop with the help of fictionwise and The Dark Reverser...

pilotbob · 11-13-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Go for the Star Trek: TNG Relaunch. While it starts off slow, it does pick up the pace and the Destiny Trilogy is very good. The books so far are (in order)...

I was looking at the series info in Library Thing. The "relaunch" books aren't numbered?

Any idea what is with "Strike Zone"? I find it listed as Authored by David Lockmiller and Peter David. Are they the same book?

BOb

tcv · 11-13-2008, 11:07 PM

And speaking of Star Trek TNG, I am now reading the next in the relaunch: Greater Than The Sum

jams1fan · 11-14-2008, 07:08 AM

Just finished "Against Medical Advice" by James Patterson & Hal Friedman. It's a true story about Mr. Friedman's son who has tourette's syndrome and OCD. A really good book with an ending full of hope. If you're feeling like the load you carry is too heavy right now, read this book. It will put life into perspective.

Tattncat · 11-14-2008, 09:45 PM

Finished "One Silent Night" and on to: Much Ado About Moonlight by Lynn Kurland

Nothing new planned yet.

JSWolf · 11-15-2008, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I was looking at the series info in Library Thing. The "relaunch" books aren't numbered?

Any idea what is with "Strike Zone"? I find it listed as Authored by David Lockmiller and Peter David. Are they the same book?

BOb

Pocket has done away with numbering Star Trek books.

Stike Zone is only authored by Peter David. BrotherJerome added this incorrect entry. Can you somehow send him a message asking him to remove this incorrect entry?

11-12-2008, 03:06 AM	#1053
hrundi Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: sony reader	Jon Blackwell - Notorious New Jersey Seymour M. Hersh - The Dark Side of Camelot Ron Suskind - The One Percent Doctrine pm me if you're interested Last edited by hrundi; 11-12-2008 at 03:10 AM.

11-12-2008, 11:16 AM	#1056
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Still working on the Starfish series. Books 1 & 2 were terrific, didn't want to put them down. Book 3 is different. I'm halfway through it and so far, nothing has really happened. Spoiler: Except maybe the long drawn out biography of the S&M computer guy. Underwater where the story is supposed to be taking place, the plot is sort of unraveling and it seems like Watts was using those main characters as filler. Nearly 900 pages in (2400 total on my reader), and all the "rifters" have done is suspect and accuse each other of planting the bomb on the unenhanced executive habitat. And for no real reason, at some point during the 5 yrs between the end of Book 2 and beginning of Book 3, the two main character archenemies have become chums. I'm going to finish it because in scanning ahead, Blind Sight, the conclusion Book 4, seems to be good. More later! PS - I still highly recommend this series. There's always a stinker in a series. Think LOTR Book 2. It's worth reading just to get to Book 3.

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11-11-2008, 10:16 PM	#1051
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Thanks, Todd, it sounds good. And to get real pleasure from any book, I think you really need to 'suspend disbelief' in many cases. True also for TV and movies. I don't care if its 'correct' in its premise. Make me believe it!

11-12-2008, 10:58 AM	#1054
carrie Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 212 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK Device: BeBook	Just finished JL Langley's - The Englor Affair. It was released yesterday and I finished it in 6 hrs.

11-12-2008, 11:01 AM	#1055
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	I'm back to reading Passage to India... and who knew... something actually happened. I guess taking a break for a few Trek SCE books really helped. BOb

11-12-2008, 12:26 PM	#1057
Xenophon curmudgeon Posts: 1,487 Karma: 5748190 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500	After too many eBooks to list, I've just started reading a truly fascinating book in dead-tree format. It's a biography of Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a scientist, spy, inventor, politician, soldier-of-fortune, patriot, traitor, genius. On a personal level, he seems to have been so crooked he makes a pretzel seem straight. At the same time, he was a major benefactor of the poor. Overall a bundle of contradictions. As a scientist, he: disproved the caloric theory of heat, did groundbreaking work in ballistics, designed more efficient fireplaces and improved stoves (and much much more). As a politician and do-gooder he fed and housed the (many many) poor of Bavaria, reformed the Bavarian army, and a whole lot more. Meanwhile, he made and lost at least five fortunes, spied on all and sundry, was a Tory patriot during the American revolution, attempted to sell the British Channel Fleet to the French, abandoned his wife and daughter, fathered at least two illegitimate children... The guy was so busy doing so many different things that it's amazing he ever had time to get any science done! The particular book I'm reading is this one: Brown, S.C. (1981). Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. Cambridge USA: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-02138-2. You can read about the scientific part of Thompson's life at Wikipedia, but they omit all the juicy stuff. Beware of biographies much older than the one I reference above -- most of the dirt on Thompson was thought to be "scurrilous rumor" up 'till WWII, when a War Office employee found the documents on Thompson that included his spy reports from the American Revolution and much much more. Sanford Brown (a MIT Physicist) spent 40+ years gathering up all the information he could find on Thompson, with a heavy emphasis on original sources. His book is of particular interest because it shows the importance of his work alongside the unsavory aspects of his character. Absolutely fascinating, and very highly recommended! Thompson could have a mini-series made about his life -- there's enough dirt to keep Hollywood happy and enough educational meat to make PBS's day! Xenophon

11-12-2008, 12:40 PM	#1058
mtravellerh book creator Posts: 9,657 Karma: 3856660 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Luxembourg Device: Kindle Scribe	I am reading a book I actually posted myself. But it's in german so it may not be considered as shameless self promotion. It's written by Waldemar Bonsels, a well known german children's book who was sent in his youth as a missionary to India after failing his school. It's really fascinating how he realizes in the course of his stay there in India how futile his missionary efforts really are. The Indians are described as simple, open folk that, in the end, are a lot wiser than the Europeans. So if someone reads german, the book is called Indienfahrt by Waldemar Bonsels. I love it. Not found any English translation, though. Shame!

11-13-2008, 11:07 PM	#1062
tcv Addict Posts: 330 Karma: 596 Join Date: Oct 2006	And speaking of Star Trek TNG, I am now reading the next in the relaunch: Greater Than The Sum

11-14-2008, 07:08 AM	#1063
jams1fan Kindled Posts: 22 Karma: 52 Join Date: May 2008 Location: U.S.A. Device: Kindle, Treo 700p	Just finished "Against Medical Advice" by James Patterson & Hal Friedman. It's a true story about Mr. Friedman's son who has tourette's syndrome and OCD. A really good book with an ending full of hope. If you're feeling like the load you carry is too heavy right now, read this book. It will put life into perspective.

11-14-2008, 09:45 PM	#1064
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	Finished "One Silent Night" and on to: Much Ado About Moonlight by Lynn Kurland Nothing new planned yet.